


Lost Heir

by ScarfyTheShipster



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Character Development, First Meetings, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Light Angst, One Shot, Pre-Canon, by about a year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:21:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21682888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarfyTheShipster/pseuds/ScarfyTheShipster
Summary: Lorenz meets Claude for the first time right before Claude is revealed to be Duke Riegan’s grandson at a formal noble party.
Relationships: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester & Claude von Riegan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Lost Heir

Lorenz felt like he was on top of the world- and acted like it too.

He smiled warmly at the small gaggle of noble girls he’d planted himself in the middle of. Duke Riegan always hosted wonderful parties. Some of the most important socializing happened before dinner, people mingling freely in a ballroom as guests arrived, catching up and keeping their chatter volume complimentary to the few hired musicians playing live music in a corner. Lorenz was at his best in the most formal settings possible.

He was a bit disgruntled that at seventeen he was still subtly sorted as a child by the Alliance nobles, but it let him touch base with his own age group. “...yes it has been a hardship being so far from home, my dears. Studying abroad in Fhirdiad while still managing Gloucester territory responsibilities- but your lovely company is all the more worth it for my short time back in Leicester.”  
One of the girls nodded sympathetically. Lorenz knew most of them were likely gravitating towards him due to his status. Who wouldn’t? He basked in their attention. “It’s so hard to have to go outside our territories for schooling! With strangers sometimes! Oh! Like that new boy, have you seen him? He has a yellow cape!”

Lorenz furrowed his eyebrows and worked to smooth his expression. He didn’t appreciate attention being detracted from himself. He scanned the room and his eyes alighted on who might’ve been the only person he didn’t know by name in the building. “Well, you’re right. Pardon me, but I must introduce myself.”

For someone to have slipped through Lorenz’s study of the noble families in the Alliance was odd. Was he perhaps a guest of honor? Awfully young to be a diplomat. Lorenz scanned him up and down, making eye contact when he was a few strides away. He was met with an easy smile- a bit too familiar for such a formal event but better than the alternative. He seemed at ease, staying at the far end of the room from most of the higher level dignitaries to relax with the younger crowd.  
Lorenz doubted he needed an introduction but gave one anyway, hand on his dose as he bowed shortly. “Good evening. I am Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, heir to Count Gloucester, future leader of the Alliance. I don’t believe I’ve made your acquaintance before.”

His title usually impressed, particularly people outside the circle of nobility. However, he was met with a bright smirk with a hint of laughter in his new companion’s eyes. Handsome features, a small braid off to the side of his face, and dazzling green eyes. Surely Lorenz would’ve remembered him if they’d met before. “I’m Claude Von Riegan.”

Lorenz couldn’t stop a laugh- turning it into a cough. He raised his eyebrows at Claude with a smile of his own. “Pardon? That’s impossible! I know all the Von Riegans.”

“Impossible? Well, then we have a bit of a dilemma. I’ve been me, Claude Von Riegan, all my life,” he said lightly. It could’ve turned into an argument but Claude breezed forward with more tact than Lorenz had. It was difficult for Lorenz to press someone for details in such a lively formal atmosphere- and with such an unaffected charm. “Yes, you’re a Gloucester though. I heard their eldest son had a thing for roses.”

“Indeed. Our gardens are most impressive.” Bragging was sometimes the default method of communication between nobles. Lorenz nodded to Claude, guessing they were around the same age. “I am curious as to your aspirations.”

“Oh? Well, I’ll be attending Garreg Mach next year.”

“As will I, as house leader,” said Lorenz with a dose of warmth. Claude had that uncontrollable look on his face again, like he couldn’t help grinning at Lorenz for some reason. “You may come to me for anything you need assistance with once we start school. Ah, unless you are certain you will not require such a thing? House leaders like the nobles they are for their own subjects must act as guides and supports for their peers- it is not a slight to your abilities.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. Honestly.” Claude glanced around the room, seeing the other youthful nobles in clusters of threes and fours occasionally sending them glances. “I was hoping to meet some people my own age.” He stretched and reached his arms up behind his head like he was sunning somewhere relaxing instead of at a noble’s formal party. “You’re the first one to directly approach me, actually.” 

“Oh? That’s a shame, but nobles are often hard on newcomers.”

Claude raised his eyebrows. Even though he was dressed as a noble he stood out. “Outsiders?”

“To be blunt- it is rather rude of polite society, isn’t it?” 

“If you can admit that, we might actually be friends.”

Friends. It wasn’t a word Lorenz applied to most nobles he knew and even spent time with. There es always an underlying current of politics between them all. However, for this Claude who certainly was not a Von Riegan... “That could be pleasant. We’re to be schoolmates at least.”

Nothing could’ve prepared Lorenz for the announcement at dinner, although Claude had literally told him his full name. Duke Riegan had Claude directly at his side, a Crest identifier in front of him. 

“I present to you, the Leicester Alliance, my beloved grandson and heir- Claude.”

The crescent moon of Riegan lit up in front of Claude to scattered, shocked applause. Claude seemed somewhat closed off, a polite smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes until he made contact with Lorenz, lighting up with something genuine for a second. Not necessarily an ‘I told you so’, but a sort of bond between them like they’d been in cahoots about it all along.  
It didn’t last.

Immediately after the gathering, where a drop of Claude’s blood on the identifier had caused such a ripple it was turning into crashing waves, Lorenz’s own father pulled him aside in their carriage before his other siblings had filed in. “Don’t trust him. Keep an eye on him at school. He cannot be Riegan’s legitimate heir.”

Lorenz sighed. “His crest-“

“Could he explained in other ways. He can’t be trusted, only showing up after sixteen years, looking nothing like any nobles in the region?”  
In the year before they were to meet at Garreg Mach, Count Gloucester, always a tad overbearing when working to sway others to his side, did more to Lorenz than the few minutes alone with Claude had.

Don’t trust him.

He isn’t one of us.

He’s here to usurp us.

You’ll find dirt on him.

He could be a spy.

You have to do this for the Alliance.

It’s your duty as a noble. 

By the time Lorenz met Claude again he was colder. He scrutinized, his tone had an edge to it- it was though they’d never met or had been fond of each other at all. The minutes with Claude as a real person were drowned out by the mistrust and whispers that had followed Lorenz to school.

Claude kept up his cheerful mask. He didn’t seem surprised.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I thought it would be interesting to write their first meeting, especially Lorenz and Claude meeting as people before the politics got in the way. 
> 
> And then it’s years until Lorenz and Claude ever get close... rip
> 
> Had been originally posted on my rp blog as a drabble


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